Wbappeb



F BVOLDHAM.

WRAPPER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I8, IsIe.

1,381,425. Patenuunelmsazl.

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PATENT OFFICE..

F BERT OLDHAM, OF AUBURN, MAINE.

WRAPPER.

l Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 14, 1921.

Application led September 18, 1916. Serial No. 120,663.

. To all whom z'tma-g/ concern.'

Beit known that I, F BERT OLDHAM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Auburn, county of Androscoggin, State of Maine, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Wrappersa of which thefollowing is a specification. This invention relates to a novel pack andparticularly to a wrapping tube of such construction and designl as tofacilitate the wrapping of a body such for instance as a sardine can.`

Many types of articles are now marketed either in paper envelops orglass containers or card board containers or in cans and frequently thelatter are provided with ornate finishers to enhance the appearance ofthe stock and carry out particular characteristics of marks or labelsand these articles are commonly disposed of from stock wrapped in alight paper sheathing or wrapper, and at the present time the purchasingpublic has been educated to expect that many articles are thus commonlymarketed. The wrapper is frequently applied to the vessel or containerby a wrapping process in which a piece of paper is vfolded around thearticle or container and the projecting end portions of the wrapper arethen again folded over the ends of the package in such a manner as toform a neat article and at once serve to protect the finish or surfaceof the wrapped article from being'soiled by being handled or injured,and also is protected against corrosion or rust.

According to the present manufacturing or marketing methods the wrappingof the body or container such as for instance a sardine can, when thiswork is done by hand is under present conditions practically prohibitivein this country. though it is a common practice in foreign countries andthe goods shipped into the United States so wrapped. Y

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a pack inwhich the article or body to be protected is eiciently covered by awrapper in the form of a tube which is of greater length than thearticle contained and is of approximately the same cross-sectional area,and has for its further object to provide for an economical andeiiicient wrapping of the article or body or container to be wrapped andto produce a pack which will be attractive in appearance andsubstantial.

It is therefore a feature of my invention to provide a wrapping tubewhich preferably is attened longitudinally and has its longitudinaledges tucked inwardly through out its length, forming a shallow infoldand which when an article to Vbe wrapped such as a sardine can isinserted in the end ofthe tube, the side faces or panels of the latterreadily spread or open and after the can has been positionedintermediately between the ends of the tube the partly openedoverhanging portions of the tube have substantially V-shaped inwardlydirected side grooves which are automatically produced by thesemi-opened condition of the marginal tucks of the wrapper. These tuckededges are adapted to clearly facilitate the operation of preparing theoverhanging portions of the tube at each end of the can to be exactlyfolded in opposed or overlapping relation upon one another and then overthe end of the can.

The invention therefore consists of a pack consisting of a containerpreferably of rectangular cross section, and a wrapping tube for thecontainer or can which is of greater length than the can `and ofapproximately equal cross-sectional area, the tube being provided withvlongitudinal inwardly tucked portions which are folded in pairs towardeach other across each end of the container or can and forming tonguesor tangs which are folded one upon the other and then laid lover the endof the can, the folded tongues or tangs being sealed in folded positionby a label or other suitable sealing expedient.

A preferred form of the invention and a method of wrapping the tubeabout the container is described in the following specification andillustrated in the accompanying drawing herein.

Figure l is a perspective view of a wrapper being adjusted upon a canand showing the partly expanded end of the tube in placing the can,while the opposite end of the tube is being slightly opened and showingthe inwardly directed longitudinal tucks.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a further step in the method offolding the wrapping to be placed about the .inclosed container which isillustrated in dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the wrapping Vtube with its end tongues ortangs folded perpendicularly to the end of the container in the secondstep of the folding operation.

Fig. it is a perspective view of the wrapping tube as substantiallyfinally folded down upon the inclosed can and showing the application ofa sealing label.

In practising my invention, I prefer to employ arwrapper in the form ofa piece of pliable material of tubular form illustrated` at 2 Fig. 1,the tube preferably being of a durable, attractive, oiled paper and of alength considerably greater than the length of the can 3 which is to bewrapped. The wrapper 2 is in the form of a attened tube having itslongitudinal sides .folded inwardly to form inwardly directed tucks orfolds et, the side forming portions 5 of which are ap proximately of awidth of about one-half .the thickness of the canY 3 so that when thelatter is inserted as in Fig. l into one end of the tube, t'he fold 4;expands and forms a side portion 6 about equal in thickness to thethickness of the can. After `the latter has `been positionedintermediately between the ends of the top and bottom of the tube 2 theoverhanging ends as shown in Fig. 2 may then be folded together and thenupwardly over the ends of the container as shown in F ig. 3.

lOne of the importa-nt features of the present invention is theprovision of the inwardly directed tucks 4L which serve when thewrapping tube has been adjusted upon the can 8 in its proper position toautomati cally form 4\l.shaped panels or grooves between flaring sides 5which act as guides for the fingers of the operator to facilitate theinwardly folding` action of the side portions 5 as shown in F ig. 2,V toform uppe1 and lower substantially triangular tongues 7-7 above andbelow the intu'rnedends 6 of the sides 5. After 'the overhanging endportions of the tube have been folded to ythe positions indicated inFig. 2 and the ends 6 brought into overlapping position across the endof the can, the upper and lower tongues or tangs- .7 7 may then readilybe folded upwardly with neat straight edges sharply angular to eachotheras shown in Fig. 3 with a position perpendicular to the length ofthe tube on the tangs, then folded over the corner of the can as shownin Fig. elin superposed relation at caf-h end of the can where they maybe readily and neatly sealed down by the application of a label 9 of anyVsuitable form and proportion, one type of which is illustrated in Fig.Il.

From 'the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a pack which isextremely neat in appearance, is substantially air tight and practicallywater proof so far as the purpose in `hand makes it necessary and thecan is well protected and when the tube is of a material which istranslucent the decoration on the can or its color may bedisintermediate eerned through the wrapper and chiefly it will beobserved that 1 have provided a wrapper which being prepared in largequantities in the form of a complete tube and subdivided into sectionsof the requisite length determined by the size of the can, may befurnished economically, and maybe applied either manually ormechanically to the can to be covered and linally sealed.

lWhat 1 therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A wrapper for a substantially flat ar ticle consisting of a tubeharing infolded tucks automatically expansible by the insertion of thearticle to be wrapped to form linger guiding grooves in 'theoverhang'ing portions of the wrapper at both ends of the 'article to bewrapped.

2. A wrapper for a substantially rectangirlar article consisting of atube o'f greater length than the article to be wrapped and havinginfolded tucks automatically eX- pansibleby the endwise insertion of thearticle to be wrapped to form finger .guiding grooif'es of approximatelytl-form in the overhang-ing portions of `the wrapper at both ends of thearticle to be wrapped, and having said overhanging portions infolded andreturned upon and secured to one face of the wrapper.

8. A wrapper for a substantially flat article consisting `of a tube ofgreater length than the article to be wrapped7 and having anintermediate article inclosing portion conformable to thesides of thesaid article and having infolded tucks automatically eX- pansible by theinsertion ofthe article to be wrapped to forni finger guiding grooves inthe article7 the side panels of the wrapper' adapted to overlap the endsof the article with said overhanging portions folded over both ends ofthe article and sealed to the inclosing portion of the wrapper.

Li. A tubular wrapper for a substantially rectangular relatively liatarticle comprising an open ended sheath having infolded longitudinalvtueln automatically exp'ansible -by the endwise insertion of the articleto be wrapped to forni linger guiding grooves in the m'erhangingportions of Vthe sheath at both ends of usaid article, the inturned endsof thc side panels of the sheath being iniold'ed and overlapping theends of the ar7 ticle to be wrapped, and held in position bv saidVoverhanging portions. u

ln testimony whereof l ailiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.l y

l? BERT OLDHAM. lVitnesses z CORINNE li/IoFanLAND, NELLIE B. RTGKERS.

